{"id":23361,"date":"2021-10-02T12:38:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-02T16:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23361"},"modified":"2021-10-04T09:42:18","modified_gmt":"2021-10-04T13:42:18","slug":"chelsea-go-top-of-the-table-after-defeating-10-man-saints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23361","title":{"rendered":"Chelsea Go Top Of The Table After Defeating 10-Man Saints"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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After Southampton went down to 10-men Chelsea turned a nervy afternoon into an important win (PA Wire\/PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Timo Werner and Ben Chilwell\u2019s late strikes sent Chelsea top of the Premier League as the Blues dispatched 10-man Southampton 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Ward-Prowse scored a penalty only to be sent off for a late, lunging tackle on Jorginho, opening the door for Werner and Chilwell to send the Blues back to winning ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manchester United\u2019s 1-1 draw with Everton teed up the chance for Chelsea to climb to the league\u2019s summit, and after a testing and at times tetchy afternoon, Thomas Tuchel\u2019s men obliged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trevoh Chalobah\u2019s header had the home side in the box seat, until Chilwell upended former Chelsea academy star Tino Livramento in the box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ward-Prowse converted the spot-kick to threaten Chelsea\u2019s ambitions of moving top of the pile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chelsea saw first-half finishes ruled out for both Romelu Lukaku and Werner, but just when the west Londoners feared paying the price, two late goals turned the tide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Werner turned in Cesar Azpilicueta\u2019s smart cross to spark celebrations of relief as Chelsea moved 2-1 ahead, before Chilwell atoned for conceding the penalty by lashing in the third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lukaku\u2019s disallowed effort came when he slotted home neatly after Toni Rudiger\u2019s fine through-ball, only to be pulled back for offside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Werner\u2019s chalked-off finish was when he nodded in from Callum Hudson-Odoi\u2019s inch-perfect cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Referee Martin Atkinson ruled out the goal after viewing the pitchside monitors and judging Azpilicueta to have fouled Kyle Walker-Peters in the build-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas Tuchel was then booked for his excessive touchline protests, and the Chelsea boss even ended up nose-to-nose with Atkinson as tempers threatened to boil over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Werner should have fired Chelsea ahead mere minutes into the clash, only to deliver a shot lacking entirely in conviction that proved easy enough for Alex McCarthy to save.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Blues quickly shook off that profligacy however, as Chalobah nodded into the empty net at the far post following Chilwell\u2019s corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chalobah\u2019s goal owed everything to Loftus-Cheek\u2019s flick on, with the one-time England midfielder rising highest in the middle of the box to tee up the center-back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chilwell should have found the net when played through by Mateo Kovacic, only to deliver a finish lacking in any real power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Theo Walcott headed wide in a rare Southampton foray, but Chelsea maintained control with precious little issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lukaku thought he had doubled the home lead when slotting home, only for the offside flag to thwart the Belgium hitman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rudiger\u2019s mazy run and through ball lit up Stamford Bridge and almost deserved Lukaku\u2019s finish to stand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Werner was the next to see a neat finish chalked off, with the Germany forward heading in from Hudson-Odoi\u2019s pinpoint cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Blues celebrated the goal and expected to move 2-0 ahead, only for VAR to scrub the effort for a foul by Azpilicueta on Walker-Peters in the build-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tuchel\u2019s over-exuberant remonstrations led to a booking, and that needless square-up to referee Atkinson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chelsea\u2019s near-total dominance was left without just reward at half-time then, with the Blues still only leading by the solitary Chalobah effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hosts\u2019 control wavered slightly after the interval, and ultimately the Blues paid for wasting all that dominance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chilwell upended Livramento in the box and Ward-Prowse buried the rightful penalty, to level the contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ward-Prowse was then sent off after a VAR review for a horror tackle on Jorginho, with the Italy midfielder fortunate to avoid injury at full stretch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just when Chelsea feared running out of time and opportunities however, up popped Werner with a side-footed winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barkley\u2019s raking pass was cleverly redirected into the box by Azpilicueta with a fine first-time ball, and Werner did the rest with a tap-in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chilwell then drilled a third at the end, as Chelsea turned a nervy afternoon into an important win.<\/p>\n

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